PIP assessment was a terrible experience

Isabel
Isabel Community member Posts: 1 Listener
edited May 2018 in PIP, DLA, and AA
I have just had my pip assessment which was a terrible experience.  I don’t know the outcome yet but I didn’t feel I could get my conditions across. The assessor just asked the same questions as the form. He didn’t ask me how far I could walk but instead asked me how many minutes I co7kd walk.  I said oh I dunno, 2 or 3 maybe after which I thought I probably shouldn’t have said that but the question through me and it was the end of the assessment and I couldn’t wait to get out of there.  I have chronic arthritis of the spine and spinal stenosis with 4 discs bulging, many other conditions aswell.

Comments

  • JennysDad
    JennysDad Community member Posts: 2,293 Championing
    Hello @Isabel and a warm welcome to the community. I'm glad you've found us but obviously sorry you have had a bad time with this. Unfortunately it is all too common these days.
    The forum 'Talk about PIP/DLA' is where you will find a good number of people who have also been put through the wringer. Perhaps you'd care to take a look?
    Other members will be along to chat with you in due course and remember that whatever the next stage is - Mandatory Reconsideration, Tribunal, whatever, we are here to do our best to help. You're not alone.
    Warmest best wishes,
    Richard
    @JennysDad
  • Pippa_Alumni
    Pippa_Alumni Scope alumni Posts: 5,765 Championing
    Welcome to the community, @Isabel!

    Thank you for sharing this with us- I'm so sorry to hear about your experience. As @JennysDad mentioned above, you're not alone and we're here to support you wherever we can- do keep us updated, and all the best with your outcome.
  • Matilda
    Matilda Community member Posts: 2,592 Championing
    It's common for assessors to ask for how long you can walk rather than how far - to give them an excuse to say you can walk farther than in fact you can.

    In fact the time it takes different people to walk the same distance can vary enormously.  If your award is lower than expected, in your mandatory reconsideration request say that it takes you two or three minutes to walk up to 20m or however far you can walk before you have to stop and rest.  And that two or three minutes might not be continuous anyway but include stops.

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